I have really enjoyed my first week out and about visiting patients on my own. It has been pretty scary in some ways, I have gone from being secure in the knowledge of knowing my job well to the point of being able to teach others to the newbie, asking stupid questions and feeling,  as well as looking like a dunce being unfamiliar with some of the techniques which might be basic in the community, but I had not encountered to the same degree in hospital.

Anyway, my first day doing visits was absolutely brilliant. The patient lived about two minutes drive from me which meant I did not have to leave that early to get there for 8.30 (that is weird as well, as I get to lie in till 6.30 in the morning and still have plenty of time)! I also get to see Miss Hap off to school which means that Mr Grump buggers off out of it at 7.30 and leaves me to shout up at regular intervals to wake her up from 7am onwards and then chivvy her along until her friend arrives for her at 7:50 to catch the bus.

I fussed around arranging everything neatly in the boot of my car, made sure I had a flask of coffee to keep me going and of course, lunch. I arrived a couple of minutes early, grabbed my paperwork and bag and nervously knocked on the door. I was met by an elderly man who welcomed me into their house, His wife, my patient was very pleasant and smiley as I introduced myself, and we went upstairs so that I could look at her wound that I was there to dress. Her husband shouted up asking me if I wanted a cuppa which of course I did, and the whole visit went well.

The next day though I drove up and down a busy dual carriageway looking for somewhere to no avail. When I finally found it, I realised I had driven past it about three times already! I also woke someone up who was none too pleased to see me, I am not surprised as I had gone to the wrong house! I had got the door numbers mixed up, Luckily someone was waving frantically at me from the other side of the road, who had seen me marching up to the wrong house and realised that it was her son that I should be seeing.

I apologised to the man I had woken and made me my across the road to the correct address. I knew that I was there to do a blood test on an anxious patient, What I did not realise though, but was told just before I went to take it, was that there was a strong likelihood that he might faint or at the very least, throw up. Great! Now I was even more nervous in case I didn’t get it or he flaked out on me! Luckily neither happened, I got my bloods and he got to remain conscious, just how I like it!

A little later on in the week I had to re-visit some of my earlier patients to re-check their wounds, and I was told that these people were going to be my caseload, I was thrilled to have my own patients, especially when I went back out on Friday to the lovely couple I went to on my very first visit,

This time, the husband came to the door in his dressing gown, but I still got the warm welcome and his wife shouted down to me to come up, they had remembered my name which really pleased me. Once I had dressed the wound and had my cuppa, the patient asked if it would be me that always came. I explained that it would although now and again someone else might come, Her reaction was to tell me how pleased she was and that it called for a hug and a kiss!

On Wednesday things went a bit awry, I woke up and looked at my phone only to see it was 7:20! I had not been up on a working day that late in a decade probably!  Mr Grump’s alarm had failed to go off and I didn’t bother setting mine. I yelled out to Miss Hap that it was 7.30 and to get up. She told me nonchalantly that it was only 7.20 anyway!

Well, both Mr Grump and I were stressed, and falling over each other in the bathroom trying to get washed and dressed. I know I wasn’t actually late, but being a creature of habit, I was put out completely having to rush around to get ready. Grump was cross and more crabby than usual but luckily cleared off to take Roxy out for her walk, giving me chance to get on.

It has been quite an eventful week for me, but am looking forward to next week!

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